Scarlet Obsessions
by tragedyneverends
Summary: Sequel to Scarlet Dreams. "Are we strong enough to face our future, or will our obsessions break us?"
1. Prologue

_"Scarlet is a bright-red, somewhat-orange color. It signifies passion, courage, lust, strength, violence and sin. It is the color of rubies, blood and fire."_

* * *

_**Scarlet Obsessions**_

* * *

**Prologue**

Sakura's body smoldered in a ghastly, red-hot blaze. The fire was damaging her throat the most – but maybe it was just because of her ear-piercing screams, which were mercilessly tearing at her vocal chords. She would be voiceless later, but she doubted she would even be alive after this.

The unearthly flames pinned her body down against the ground with their firm iron arms. She tried to struggle out of their hold, but they were too strong, and she was being weakened by the overwhelming heat slowly eating away her skin, muscles and bones. She would never be able to stand up and escape this inferno. She would never be able to save Sasuke, wherever he was.

As if on cue, she heard his distant, frantic voice again. "Sakura! Sakura! Stop! You're dreaming! Wake up!"

It took her a moment to realize what he was saying. Dreaming? Wake up? Stunned, the girl forced herself to stop screaming and moving under the flames' grasp. She tried to listen to him again, more attentively this time. "Sakura, it's okay!" he said. "You're okay! Open your eyes!"

She did. Sasuke's face hovered above her, pale and handsome, over a pitch-black background. Her sight focused and she saw clearly the hopeless fear in his expression. Petrified, she only managed to whisper his name. "Sasuke…?"

The fear in his face melted into a feeble relief. "God," he said shakily, "you scared me to death."

The hands that had been clutching her arms let go stiffly. She realized they hadn't been the flames', but actually Sasuke's; he had been holding her down to keep her from hurting herself as she trashed around in her sleep. Now, he plopped down beside her, running his hands through his messy black hair.

Breathing heavily, Sakura stayed motionless and tried to make sense of what had happened. Obviously, and not very surprisingly, she had had a horrifying nightmare. But why was Sasuke here? And where was _here_, exactly? Rigidly, she craned her neck and took in her surroundings. They were in dark, unfamiliar room with two beds, and the one on which they lay was hard and small. What was this place? Why was she here with Sasuke?

The terrifying uncertainty didn't last long, for the memories finally poured into her mind, all at once and without a warning. Sakura remembered everything: that her mother had been a vampire and her father a vampire hunter, that she was not supposed to exist, that her aunt was in a magic-induced coma, that her best friend since high school was actually her vampire cousin, that the family she had worked for were also vampires and had helped her escape, that said family's youngest son had thrown his life away to escape with her, and that there was a psycho out there eager to kill her.

Her green eyes pooled with tears as a painful thought popped into her mind: _A few months ago, I was just a normal eighteen-year-old girl. How the hell did I end up like this?_

Sasuke heard her quiet sobs. Alarmed, he propped up with one elbow, reached out to stroke her cheek. "Hey," he said softly, "it's okay. It was just a nightmare. It wasn't real."

She wanted to tell him that she wasn't crying because of that, but what would be the point? So instead, she turned her body towards his and let him hold her as she cried. As the tears flowed, she desperately tried to ease her troubled thoughts by focusing on the perks of the situation: Sasuke was here, they were together in this, and he was as hers as she was his. This wasn't as bad as it could be. She needed to stop crying so often and easily.

After a few minutes of weeping against his chest, Sakura finally calmed down. For a long moment, they lay in the darkness without speaking, their legs tangled and their arms around each other. She kept her eyes fixed on the moonlight that spilled through the small window in the corner of the room. She noticed the night outside was beautiful; the sky was full of stars and the moon hung low and huge. The nice view and Sasuke's already-familiar warmth and smell were so soothing she would have fallen asleep if Sasuke hadn't suddenly spoken.

"Do you want to talk about the nightmare?"

She knew what he meant with that. He was actually asking for the meaning of the dream, because he knew her dreams were prophetic; that was the gift she had because of her vampire half. He wanted to know what awaited them in the future.

Burying her face in the crook of his neck, she spoke lowly against his smooth skin and told him what the nightmare had been about, with as many details as possible. When she finished, Sasuke was silent for a few moments, thinking. At last, he whispered, "If I remember well, dreaming of threatening fire only means you are frustrated and you feel your life is out of control, which I suppose is natural and nothing to really worry about."

Sakura smiled a little. Being an avid reader, Sasuke had practically devoured her ancestor's book – the one about the meaning of dreams that Kakashi had given her before she left – as soon as she had showed it to him. He hadn't done it because he found the subject especially interesting, but because he wanted to know as much as possible to be able to help her through this. She doubted she deserved the great luck of having him.

"What about the words Sai said to me?" she asked. "What do they mean? Did my subconscious just made them up? My dreams' meanings are usually metaphoric, but they can be literal, too. What if he will actually utter those words in the future or something?"

He sighed deeply. "I don't know. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Sakura closed her eyes. "I'm scared," she whispered, barely audibly.

His arms tightened around her. "Don't be. I'm here with you. I'll always be," he said, and for that moment, this argument was valid enough for her.

* * *

Notes: Hi again! This is the sequel of Scarlet Dreams. I will be updating it as often as possible. Hopefully, it won't take me more than a year to finish a story this time! Hahaha.

P.S.: Whether you've read Scarlet Dreams before or not, please keep an open mind as you read this story. It's merely fanfiction. Vampires, werewolves and all that have a different, unusual explanation, and the characters may be a little OOC because it's an alternative universe and they're supposed to have had different lives, which affected their personalities. Also, there might be many chapters.

Leave a review, please. Love you. xx

_~tragedyneverends_


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

* * *

Sasuke had never been a morning person, but in the last few days, his mornings have been very different from what they used to be. Before, he woke up early and reluctantly to attend his boring lessons with Kakashi, where half of the time they spoke about a future he dreaded and definitely didn't want. Now, he opened his eyes to find the most beautiful girl in the world curled up beside him. With mornings so pleasant, how could one not start to love them?

The sixth morning of his brand new life, Sasuke's eyes flickered open as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the window. He lay on his back and watched as the small motel room bathed in the golden sunshine for a while, and then he turned his head towards Sakura. She was still sleeping; her long eyelashes brushed her white cheeks, her chest rose and fell slowly, and her fleshy lips were slightly parted.

Carefully, Sasuke pulled her closer to him. They had been sleeping on the same bed ever since the night Sakura woke up screaming, because she claimed she felt safer with him beside her. He loved it like this. He loved to feel her warm body against his as he drifted off. He also loved the way she breathed when she was asleep: profoundly and calmly, tasting every breath as if it were the first she ever took; the softness and the fruity smell of her skin; the sound of her voice, and the color her eyes turned when she laughed.

He loved her, but it was too soon to admit it aloud. He would have to wait a little more.

In that instant, she awoke. Her cloudy eyes opened and focused on his. She smiled sleepily, gave him a sweet peck on the lips, and wordlessly buried her face in his neck, something she liked to do a lot. Sasuke ran his fingers up and down her back and got drunk in the feeling of her body against his, wondering how she managed to make him feel so stupidly happy when there were so many things to worry about. Maybe she held more power on him than he ever suspected. Somehow, that didn't bother him at all.

After a few minutes of enjoying the peacefulness of the morning, he spoke at last. "Did you sleep well?"

Slowly, Sakura sat up on the bed. He watched her eyes turn pensive and anxious, the way they did when she talked about her nightmares. "Well, I didn't wake up screaming, so I guess I slept better than usual," she said, her voice a little hoarse from sleep. "But I had the same nightmare again – the one about the scary fire and Sai. This time it was different, though. This time, before I jumped into the fire, I heard a woman's beautiful voice in my head. She told me not to flee, but fight. And for some reason, I listened to her. I didn't jump into the fire; instead, I took a deep breath, calmed down, and turned to face Sai. Then, I woke up." She looked down at him. The morning light made the green of her eyes glisten enigmatically. "This is the first time something like this ever happens. I'm confused."

Sasuke propped himself up with his elbows and shrugged. "I don't know any more than you do. But perhaps we can leave that subject aside for now, because today is the day."

She gasped softly. "Oh. I almost forgot."

Smirking, he pushed himself off the bed and grabbed his white shirt, which he had taken off and thrown to the floor last night. Because of the overwhelming heat, he had slept shirt-less and Sakura pant-less, but nothing had happened between them. They already felt comfortable around each other, but they were taking things slow. "Seriously? You've been eager about it for two days now," he said, putting on the shirt and his shoes.

"Well, not eager," Sakura mumbled, hugging her bare legs to her chest. "More like… nervous. I'm scared it won't work out."

"Don't worry. If this doesn't work out, we're going to keep trying more things until we fix this." He walked around the bed and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I promise."

* * *

Today was the day. Indeed, Sakura had been waiting for it for the last two days, ever since they got that short e-mail reply from Gaara No Sabaku that simply said:

_I am willing to help you. I expect nothing in return because you are Naruto's friends and I owe him a lot. Meet me in Sydney's Oceanic Cafe on Friday at 8 AM. Don't be late._

When Sakura asked Sasuke why the half wizard, half vampire guy owed so much to Naruto, he said that the werewolf had been the first kid that didn't bully Gaara for being a half-breed, and they became very close friends. That was why Sasuke had thought that mentioning their relationship with Naruto in the first e-mail they sent Gaara was so important.

Today was finally Friday. They were already in Sydney, Australia; they'd arrived yesterday's morning, toured around the beautiful city all afternoon, and then rented a room in a cheap yet very nice and clean motel. It was the first time Sakura ever visited another continent or country, and even under these peculiar circumstances, she was very excited. Yesterday, there had been moments when she almost felt like she was just a tourist, traveling with her boyfriend for fun. It had been nice.

However, she was not here for vacations. She needed to meet Gaara and figure the spell Tsunade was under out. Maybe, after they were done and if they had time, she and Sasuke could tour the city a bit more… but first things, first.

Sasuke spoke fluent English – and German, Spanish and Mandarin, she recently discovered; apparently, Uchiha vampires are educated to be prodigies – and she understood it, but her pronunciation wasn't excellent, so he was the one who talked to receptionists and clerks. He talked to the receptionist before they left the motel and asked her to please delete any records of their stay in the motel. With his aviator sunglasses, his formal tone and his fancy credit card, he seemed intimidatingly important, so the woman didn't hesitate to consent. Sakura just hoped she didn't think they were jail-breakers or something and called the police as soon as they left.

At last, they stepped out of the building and into the warm Australian morning, and made their way towards the place Gaara had told them to meet him in exactly an hour. Sasuke gentlemanly carried their entire luggage, except for Sakura's backpack, which she insisted on carrying, principally because she didn't want to leave it all to him, but also because Tsunade's wood box was there and she didn't want anything to happen to it.

They turned on Elizabeth's street, walked a few more blocks, and finally spotted Oceanic Cafe's neon green sign. As soon as they walked into the cafe, the smell of food hit Sakura's nostrils, and her stomach grumbled. At the thought of feeding, her throat also started burning. She needed to eat some breakfast and drink some blood.

They sat in one of the booths. A waiter took their order: two plates of the typical Australian breakfast: fried eggs and grilled bacon and steaks. When he was gone, Sakura gave Sasuke a meaningful look, which he immediately understood. He dug out from his pants' pocket a white medicine bottle, which he shook four small, red pills out of. Then, they ordered glasses of water and took two pills each as if they were simple medicines; for vampires, at least, they were.

These pills were very helpful when vampires had to travel and could not take bottles of blood with them. They seemed normal medicine, but were actually specifically design to substitute most of the nutrients blood provided. They could keep them alive and sane, but not as strong, or for as long, as blood could. For example, in Sasuke's case, the pills weren't enough to protect his sensible vampire skin from the Australian sunlight properly, so every time, before he went out, he had to put on lots of sunscreen with the highest SPF he found. It was really bothersome.

"I promise we'll have real blood soon," Sasuke mumbled as they waited for their breakfast to come.

"Just remember I don't want to kill anyone," she added, only half-jokingly.

"You won't have to. We'll find another way soon. I'll make sure of that."

Sakura reached out for his hand above the table. "It's alright, Sasuke. You're already doing a lot for me. I can be patient for longer."

He offered a weak smile, and then his head snapped to the right and his muscles abruptly tensed. Alarmed, Sakura followed his gaze and watched as two men entered the café. The huskier one had brown hair and wary dark eyes, and, judging by the way he moved and by the fairness of his features, he was a vampire. The second guy was red-haired, clearly younger and dressed all in black, and there was something vampire-ish about him too, yet he seemed different from any other person she'd ever seen before.

"That's him," Sasuke said, not taking his eyes off them. "The red-haired one."

"And who's the other?" Sakura asked.

"I'm not sure."

In that moment, Gaara saw them. Blank-faced, he made his way towards them, the other vampire trailing behind. Sasuke stood up and Sakura did the same.

"Sasuke Uchiha," Gaara greeted without offering his hand; he kept his arms tightly crossed. His blue-green eyes then jumped to Sakura. "And you must be the half-breed."

"Don't say it aloud," Sasuke hissed, glancing around nervously.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Sakura said, momentarily caring more about the fact that she was probably about to finally find a way to wake her aunt up, than about someone finding out what she was. She looked at the other guy and smiled. "You, too, whoever you are."

"He's my half-brother, Kankuro," Gaara introduced bluntly. "I'm sorry if his presence was unexpected. I couldn't risk coming here alone."

"I'm just here to make sure you're not harmful to Gaara," Kankuro said casually. "Temari said you were inoffensive people, but I had to see it for myself."

"Temari talked to you about us?" Sasuke asked.

Gaara nodded. "She was part of the reason why I agreed to meet you here. The other part was that you truthfully are Naruto's friends; I called yesterday and asked him myself, just to make sure."

Sakura noticed how little Gaara trusted people. She supposed that, since they were both half-breeds, she should be like that, too. However, their cases weren't exactly the same. Although her situation was more difficult, she'd barely found out about all this a couple of months ago, while Gaara had had to struggle with his nature all his life. He had all the reasons and the experience to distrust easily.

"Well, I'm going to let you talk in private," Kankuro said, already heading back to the door. "Gaara, call me when you're done."

Once his brother was gone, Gaara took a seat on Sakura's former spot. Not wanting to be rude, she just sat beside Sasuke. A waiter came and Gaara ordered a cup of black coffee, which came in less than a minute.

"Alright," he said when the waiter left, "let's be quick. What exactly do you want from me?"

Sasuke gave him a more detailed explanation of their request. Meanwhile, Sakura observed Gaara closely. His hair was so red it couldn't possibly be natural; the faint eyeliner he wore was intensified by the notable shadows under his eyes; and his skin was so pale he almost looked ill. Judging by his still-a-bit-childish features, he couldn't be much older than her, but he acted like he was. It was as if he… carried a heavy soul; that was the most accurate way Sakura could think to describe it.

When Sasuke finished talking, their breakfast arrived before Gaara could say anything. Sakura was starving, but her hunger was muffled by the anxiety of knowing what Gaara would say next, so she ignored her food, and so did Sasuke.

Gaara glanced at the plates and wrinkled his nose a little. "I hate the food in this country," he commented. Then, he looked back at them. "Anyways…. It is true I have met Sasori before. We were both born and raised in the same city, in the same environment, and under the same judgmental eyes, after all. He was the grandson of the former leader of the main wizard clan of our city, and I was the son of the leader of the main vampire clan, so we moved around the same kind of boring people."

Sasuke nodded. "Yes, I have heard about that before."

Gaara smirked. "Of course. We are both famous for being disgraces for our clans and our city." Before anyone could say anything, he continued:

"I remember Sasori quite well. Even though he was a quiet, apathetic teenager, I noticed him because I found interesting how, in spite of his expression always being emotionless, something in his eyes told me he was desperate to put a bullet through his own brain. When I first heard he'd lost his mind and started killing people, I frankly wasn't surprised.

"However, it's been a long time since I last saw him. Back then, I was just a child, and my wizard abilities were still asleep, so I couldn't see auras. It's possible that, if I see it now, I might recognize it, but I don't assure anything."

"You don't have to," Sakura said earnestly. "We just need you to give it a try."

Gaara nodded and took the first sip of his coffee. "I understand. But before we start doing anything, we have to make a deal." He leaned in across the table a spoke lowlier, even though the café had gotten more crowded in the last few minutes and their conversation was hard to hear above all the other noises in the place. "In case you were wondering why I asked you to meet me here, in Australia, I must confess that I'm hiding from my father, who I have recently angered with my decision of choosing to be a wizard instead of a vampire."

"You got to choose?" Sakura asked before she could stop herself.

"No, but I did it. My wizard mother died when she gave birth to me, so I was raised completely by vampires, which means that my duty is to continue to live under their society's rules for the rest of my life. However, I'd much rather live under the rules of the wizards' society and to practice magic freely, so I chose to ignore my vampire half. My father wasn't very happy about this. He wanted to lock me away, so I escaped with the help of Kankuro. But my location must remain secret, and that is why we have to make this deal: I won't tell anyone I ever met you two, let alone helped you, if you don't tell anyone I'm here in Sydney."

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a look, and then they nodded solemnly.

Gaara leaned back and his shoulders relaxed a little. "Perfect. Finish you breakfasts and then we can get started."

* * *

Tsunade's hand was cold and limp, but as soft as it had always been. Shizune stroked the back of it with her thumb as she watched the blonde woman sleep. The beeping of the heart monitor said she was still alive, but she seemed so still and lifeless that Shizune thought that maybe the hospital was lying to her; maybe Tsunade had died but someone wanted to hide the truth from her…

_Great. I'm becoming paranoid now. _

With her free hand, the dark-haired woman massaged her temples. She'd been having such a hard time that sometimes she feared she was going insane. The stress was just too much for her to handle; she wasn't used to this amount of it. No one, let alone her, should have to deal with so many things at once: school, work, bills, a comatose mother, a fugitive cousin … and lately, a sexual frustration she was not supposed to feel.

One would think Itachi Uchiha did nothing but try to help Shizune. After all, he was always a gentleman to her, carrying her books and caring for her health and well-being. But in reality, he only made things worse, because Shizune couldn't help but feel… _weird_ around him. Her libido had never been high, but when she was with him that seemed to drastically change. Of course, she tried to fight it because she knew very well how wrong it was to get involved with a vampire in such way. However, the feeling was just too strong. The fact that she was still living in the Uchiha mansion, just in case Sai was still a danger to her, and she saw the object of her frustration every single day, didn't make anything better.

Her conclusion was that she had the most terrible luck ever. There were millions of men in the world, yet she ended up being attracted to a freaking vampire, with whom she was basically not allowed to have any kind of deep relationship. Definitely the worst luck ever.

"Oh, mom," she sighed. "I'm so screwed."

Tsunade, of course, didn't answer. But her limp hand in hers was comfort enough. It made Shizune feel like she wasn't alone, even though deep inside, she knew very well that she practically was.

Shizune glanced at her watch and realized it was little past six AM. School started at seven, but she better get going so she wouldn't get stuck in traffic. She leaned in and kissed Tsunade's cold cheek. "Bye, mommy. Remember that I miss you and that it would be really great if you woke up soon, okay? Okay. I'll come back tomorrow."

Three minutes later, the dark-haired woman was in the hospital's parking lot, getting into her car. She closed the door, fastened her seat belt, put the key in the ignition and started the engine. The car sputtered, but didn't start, so she tried it again… and again… and again, until she realized she was screwed.

Suddenly, it was too much. She snapped: started trashing around the car, screaming, cursing and punching the steering wheel, letting her stress all out. She didn't worry about making a fool out of herself. For once, she wanted to stop worrying so damn much about life and just _let it out_.

Finally, she stopped, breathing heavily, her hair messy and her face flushed. She took deep, calming breaths and then tried to start the engine again… but it didn't work. Defeated, she slammed her forehead against the steering wheel and mumbled, "Fuck my life…"

In that instant, there was a tapping sound against her window. Expecting a concerned, noisy by-passer peering curiously at her, she rolled down her window and started saying, "I'm fine, I'm fine, I just-"

Her words got stuck in her throat. Said by-passer was none other than the same man she'd been brooding about only minutes ago: Itachi Uchiha. Heat crawled up her face, and down her stomach, as she gaped at him like an idiot. Why did _he_ have to be here, now, and see her like _this_? Why?!

"You just what?" he asked, cracking a deliciously sexy smile.

Shizune looked away and pressed her cold hands against her burning cheeks. "Oh God. Is this really happening to me?"

"By this do you mean the fact that your car is shit or the fact that I saw you trashing around your car like a madwoman?"

"Both!"

He chuckled and straightened up. "Get out, Shizune. Your car is obviously not going to start any time soon. I'll take you wherever you need to be."

"I can't just leave my car here," she said as he opened the door for her. Hesitantly, she grabbed her bag and her books and stepped out. "It certainly is shit, but I still need it to move around. I need to get it fixed."

"I'll tell you what," Itachi said, closing the car's door with one hand and taking her books with the other. "I'll call someone to take it, get it fixed and take it to the mansion this evening. I'll take total care of it and pay and everything, alright? That way, you can focus on school and work and all that."

He started walking away, and Shizune followed him rather angrily. "Why would you do that for me?"

"Because I'm a nice person, I guess."

She shook her head. "No, I can't let you. You and your family have already done a lot for me and Sakura; I can't let you do more, not right now. I feel like a nuisance."

"You aren't," he replied, smirking. "Believe me. If you were, I would let you know immediately. I hate nuisances. Now, where do you have to be now?"

She thought deeply for a few moments, weighing her possibilities. At last, she sighed tiredly and told him where her school was. "For the record," she added, "I'm just doing this because I really do need your help right now, but I swear I'll find a way to pay you back, Itachi. I give you my word."

The vampire glanced at her and smirked smugly. She had to look to the ground and think of her upcoming exams to keep herself from ripping his clothes off rand raping him right here and now.

They continued walking to his black sports car, which was at the other side of the parking lot, apparently. Gentlemanly, Itachi opened the door for her. Still refusing to look at him, she slipped in and took the books he handed her back. He closed the door, walked around the car and then got in. As he started the engine, which responded smoothly, she asked, "Why were you here?" She then bit her tongue to not say, _Were you following me, naughty boy?_

He drove the car out of the parking lot and replied, "I was here for an interview. I'm about to finish med school and I still need to specialize, but I want to start working as soon as possible."

"Oh… And how did it go? Did you get the job?"

"I was on my way when I saw you losing your mind in your car. I'm not going to make it there now."

She gasped, horrified. "What! Oh my God. Turn around. You have to go! I won't let you lose this opportunity because of me."

He laughed and shook his head. "I'm not losing any opportunity, Shizune. I didn't have an appointment or anything, really. I was just going to get there and see if I could have the interview already. I can come back later."

"Are you a sure?"

"Yes." He gave her a sideway glance. "You really worry a lot, you know?"

"I kind of have reasons to, you know? My life… well," she sighed, leaning back on the comfortable leather seat, "it's not exactly a piece of cake lately."

"I understand what you're going through. I'm also having a hard time with this issue," he said more seriously. She believed him. It was a fact that, ever since Sakura and Sasuke left, they both became the elder, concerned siblings, which transformed the bond between them. "By the way… have you received any news from Sakura?"

"The last time I heard from her was three days ago," the woman replied. "She sent me an e-mail saying she was still in Japan, but she would be heading to Australia to meet with some guy that was probably able to help her wake Tsunade up… That's all she said; I don't know the details. But I can't believe her; she should be trying to be as safe as possible right now, not going around trying to find a solution for something that probably has none!"

Itachi spoke gently. "I'm sure it does, Shizune; don't lose hope. Besides, Sakura is just trying to help somehow."

She sighed heavily and massaged her temples again. "I know. I'm just really afraid for her. If something happens to her, if I lose her, I'm going to be devastated. She's all the family I've left."

"I'm afraid for her, and for my brother, as well. But let's have a little more faith in them, shall we?"

Shizune looked at the vampire beside her, saw him smiling, and could not help but smile back. She realized then that, even though a romantic relationship with him was out of the question, a friendship certainly was not.

* * *

Shortly after Shizune left Tsunade's room, Sasuke, Sakura and Gaara appeared in it, using the red-haired half-breed's gift of teleportation. Immediately, Sakura discovered that the sensation of being teleported was not very pleasant, for the world started spinning and she ended up on the cold tile floor, groaning at the painful dizziness. A minute later, she was able to stand up again, with the help of an also-dizzy-but-not-as-much-as-her Sasuke. She felt embarrassed, but also glad she had managed not to throw up.

Gaara was already by the bed, watching Tsunade thoughtfully. The concentration of his expression reminded Sakura of Shikamaru's when he first came to see Tsunade. The memory, plus the familiar smell of antiseptic of the room, the sound of the heart monitor and the view of her aunt sleeping peacefully, sent a pang of nostalgia through her chest.

"What do you see?" Sasuke asked Gaara quietly, walking towards the bed.

The half-breed sighed deeply and looked up at them, his expression unreadable. "As I told you before, I've never personally seen Sasori's essence," he said. "However, I was right: I am able to recognize it even after all these years… and I see it in this woman's aura. Sasori No Akasuna is definitely your guy."

* * *

Notes: Exams are going to start soon so I'm going to be busy for the next few days. I'm sorry if it takes me long to update, but just be patient, please! Oh, and don't forget to review. Your comments are my motivation. :)


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter two**

* * *

Although vampire hunters were human beings, sometimes they didn't act like them. It wasn't just because of their customs and traditions, but also because of the way they moved and talked and of the unnatural pride they took from their ancestors. Sai thought that, sometimes, it was as if vampire hunters were trying very hard to seem superior to both normal and abnormal humans.

In general, vamp hunters had never been very likeable. At first, Sai had really tried to be like them: accept the traditions, feel the same pride, talk and move the same way. But they were a prejudicial, judgmental society, and every day, he was demotivated to be part of them because of the way they kept making him feel much inferior than they usually made other people feel. They kept reminding him of how different he was, and of the fact that, no matter how hard he tried, he would never be like them. Never.

Maybe that was the main reason why he had decided to betray them. He got tired of being loyal to a society that made him feel like shit. He started craving for a way to get revenge on them. He opened his eyes to the world and realized he didn't need to be part of anything.

Or maybe he'd always been a selfish bastard deep inside, and had finally decided to embrace his nature. Who knows?

"Sai, are you listening?"

Of course he wasn't, because he hated their voices. However, it wouldn't be hard to guess what the vamp hunters were talking to him about. Lately, the only reason they spoke to him was to either scold him or to know his progress with his mission of hunting and killing Sakura Haruno. And, due to the recent failure, right now they were surely scolding him.

"Yes, sir, I am," he lied. "And I understand what your point is. However, the situation got out of my hands because I was not expecting more vampires, werewolves and wizards to be involved. I apologize for that. I should've been prepared."

That was the key to satisfy vamp hunters: always act like you know and accept you are inferior to them. They couldn't get mad at him if he fed their egos.

Predictably, the vamp hunters' faces relaxed and their tones changed. "Of course," the leader said less sternly. "But that does not matter anymore. The half-breed is gone and we don't know where. Therefore, now your mission is to find her and then proceed to end her life. As a proof, you must bring her body to us. Figure out how. Understood?"

"Understood," Sai said.

"Good. Now, just one last thing: how is your arm? Shall we call a doctor to check it again or-?"

"No, it's fine." Instinctively, his left arm twitched. The accident with the wizard's blue fire had been almost a week ago and the burns were half-healed. The only thing that still hurt was his pride. "May I leave now?"

"Yes, you may. The sooner, the better."

The young man stood from his chair, bowed respectfully and exited the room. He made his way down the dimly-lit stone corridors of the vampire hunters' underground headquarters, which were right beneath one of Tokyo's tallest buildings. The gloominess of the installations seemed rather ridiculous. It was as if they wanted to put on a show by using the perfect cliché vampire hunters were. Couldn't they just get normal offices, disguise them as something else, and live above-ground like normal people? Sai hated them so much.

He climbed up the long stairs and finally emerged from the heavy wood doors that led into the building above the headquarters. The building was an important company that made cars and, at the moment, it was full of humans. None of them had any idea of what was right beneath them, except for the owners of the company, who were secretly vamp hunters, of course. It wasn't as if normal humans would allow a secret society dedicated to kill blood-sucking criminals to have their headquarters right beneath their building.

Sai stepped outside, zipped up his leather jacket against the cold, and started walking down the streets. The sun was setting in the horizon and it was right about to disappear, which didn't leave much light left in the sky. He loved this time of the evening because it was right between day and night, but much closer to night. If he could freeze the day, he'd leave it right here, at this beautiful stage of dusk.

The colorful city lights and the dark twilight overhead lit his aimless path. As he walked, he took out a cigarette and a lighter from his pockets and started smoking. Little by little, the anger and the frustration that clung to him every time he met with the vampire hunters started slipping off, and as the acrid taste of tobacco impregnated his lungs, Sai allowed himself to relax. He still had stuff to do – like contacting people to have an idea of where the half-breed was, paying another visit to her house just in case he hadn't checked it well, and maybe paying a visit to the Uchihas too – but he'd leave all that for later. He deserved a short break.

He was waiting to cross the street when his cell phone suddenly buzzed in his jacket's pocket. He held his half-smoked cigarette with one hand and took out the phone with the other. The device's screen read _Unknown Number_. Sighing, he tapped the answer button and pressed the phone to his ear. "Who is this?"

"Hello, Sai."

There was no need to speak a name. Sai recognized the voice instantly. "What do you want?"

"To know what the hunters told you."

Sai took a drag of his cigarette and puffed out the smoke into the cool air. "Well, nothing much," he answered. "They just scolded me. It was my first reunion with the leader since the accident. They left me alone for a week so I could heal easily."

"And now they want you back in the field, I suppose?"

"Correct. However, they have no idea where she is. I believe she is with Sasuke Uchiha. Something in the way he protected her makes me think that wherever she goes, he goes too – which is pretty scandalous, if you think about it."

"It is. But, for the moment, it is none of our business. Remember that."

"Yeah, right." Sai took another drag. In that moment, people started moving, and he followed the crowd across the street. "Point is that I don't know where they are, or where to start looking. They might be in another country or continent, for all we know. I need to at least have an idea... And that's where you come in useful, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru's eerie giggles ringed in his ear. "I see… Well, look up at the coffee shop at your right."

Startled, Sai stopped walking and turned his head towards the direction indicated. The coffee shop had two stories, and through the second story's glass walls, Sai caught glimpse of a lanky vampire with long black hair sitting at a table by his own. He waved at Sai and then said through the phone, "I think I might have the information you need."

* * *

There were six billions of people in almost two hundred countries in seven continents. The world was too immense to find a single person in much less than a lifetime. Besides, there were many other places to hide, like underwater in a submarine, or up in the sky in a plane. The possibilities were just too many.

This thought overwhelmed Sakura. It also ate away her hopes and frightened her. Perhaps Tsunade had better chances of waking up suddenly and by her own, than Sakura had of finding Sasori.

Gaara spoke at last, bluntly and emotionlessly. "You two alone could never find him, principally because the guy is a wanted criminal and, if he hasn't been caught yet, then he's really good at hiding. He could be _anywhere_. All we're sure of is that he is with Akatsuki."

"And what exactly is Akatsuki?" Sakura asked.

"It's a big organization of criminals," Sasuke explained, his brow furrowed. "They're vampires, wizards and werewolves that don't stick to their societies' rules."

"This basically means: vampires that kill humans, wizards that use black magic to harm others or to show off, and werewolves that eat people," Gaara said. "They're usually spread around the world, but most of them gather in a single place, which is kind of like their main hide out and where they plot evil things, hang out or who knows what. I've heard this hide out is always changing; one day it can be in Switzerland, the next day in the Antarctica. Having wizards that don't give a damn about performing major, probably-illegal spells to move from one place to another quickly is pretty useful for them."

"So all wizards can teleport, not just you?" Sakura questioned.

"Yes, they all can, by using a specific, pretty complicated spell. But I can do it without it. That's why it's a gift."

The girl nodded thoughtfully. "Alright. So, there's a great chance Sasori might be at this hide out, wherever it is. Therefore, we need to find it, and then maybe we will find him."

"That's right, but only if you're lucky. He might not be in the hide out, but somewhere else. In that case, if you get to the hide out, you'll just have found it in vain."

"Well," she replied, "then let's hope that he's usually there."

Sasuke walked towards the room's window and gazed at the beautiful dawn peeking above the urban landscape. Sakura noticed he seemed worried. He probably didn't like the idea of messing with a criminal organization as intimidating as Akastsuki seemed. But what other choice did they have? Step back, keep hiding around the world and let Tsunade die of age while still in a comma? The mere idea made Sakura sick.

After long moments of pensive silence, Gaara spoke again. "I think there's someone that might have an idea of where Akatsuki's hideout is at the moment. But first, you two must be sure that you want to do this, because once you start, you won't be able to go back."

Sasuke took his eyes off the window and fixed them on Sakura. Without a word and simply by giving her this look, he asked her if she really wanted to do it. Using the same method of communication, she told him that she did.

The Uchiha looked at Gaara, sighed and said, "We're sure. Tell us who might help us."

Gaara nodded, seeming rather surprised they were not afraid of this decision, which was the first time an emotion broke his blank expression since Sakura met him. "Well," he said, "it's none other than my half-sister, Temari."

"Temari?" Sakura repeated, perplexed. "How would she be able to know?"

The red-haired boy shrugged. "It's complicated. I'd rather let her explain it."

* * *

Orochimaru was drinking hot chocolate. He tasted his drink slowly, deliberately making Sai grow impatient. But the young man waited impassively, distracting himself by observing the Geisha-like make up on the face of the pale man before him and by reminding himself that, soon, he'd never have to deal with him again.

When his cup was empty, the vampire smiled wickedly at Sai and said, "You look upset."

"I'm not."

The man stared at him amusedly a bit longer, and then shrugged. "Alright," he said, and then stuck his hand underneath his black suit's jacket, taking out a gray folder. "The information you need is in here," he announced, putting the folder on the table. "It was very hard to obtain and there's no copy of it, so you better be careful with it."

Eagerly, Sai reached for the folder, but the other man pulled it away from his grasp and said, "Uh-uh! Hold up right there. Before I give you this, you must prove you're still on our side and we can keep on trusting you, boy."

Sai glared at him. "You cannot be serious."

"Oh, yes I am." Orochimaru stuck the folder back under his jacket and offered him his white, bony hand. "Do you want the folder or not?"

Sai did. He needed it to get the mission over with; to find the half-breed, give her to the Akastsuki and take revenge on the vampire hunters. This was his only chance.

Wordlessly, he put his hand on Orochimaru's. The disturbing vampire used his sharp thumbnail to break through the skin of the back of Sai's hand. Red blood oozed from the small wound, and Orochimaru wiped it off with his index finger, which he then stuck in his mouth.

"Hmm," the vampire said, tasting the blood in his mouth. "It's gotten acrid. You have been under a lot of stress, haven't you? I hope it's because the half-breed wasn't as easy to catch as you'd expected, and not because you're afraid the hunters have started suspecting of your intentions."

"They're not suspecting," Sai said curtly, trying not to be affected by the methods of Orochimaru's disturbing gift. "And I'm stressed because I am still angry I lost to a wizard."

"I see…" He narrowed his yellow eyes at him. "Seems legit. Also, you're not nervous at all right now, which means you're not hiding anything. I suppose we can still trust you." He took out the folder again and slid it across the table. "Here you go, boy."

The young man took the folder, opened it and looked at the papers inside. They were security cameras' pictures that zoomed in the blurry face of Sakura Haruno and her companion, who was, indeed, the Uchiha's young son. The security cameras were from airports, mostly, but also from motels, restaurants and grocery stores in three different cities of Japan and, the most recent ones, in Sydney, Australia.

"How did you get this?" he asked quietly. Not for the first time, he was amazed at Akatsuki's ways of getting what they wanted.

"Oh, you know," Orochimaru replied casually, "computer hackers and all that." He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Now, I'm sure the hunters will pay for your plane tickets, so I assume you won't need anything else from us, correct?"

Sai stared at the pictures from Sydney's security cameras. They were from a motel and had been snapped exactly twelve hours ago. The half-breed is displayed walking into the building, holding hands with the Uchiha. Their relationship unsettled Sai more than it unsettled both the Akatsuki and the vampire hunters, possibly because, being what he was, he had learned all he could about his kind, and he knew that the result of an affair between a half-breed and a vampire from a clan as powerful as the Uchiha would not be good.

However, as Orochimaru had said, it was none of his business. All he had to care about was what he had been hired to do: bringing the girl to the Akatsuki.

"There's only one more thing," he said, putting the papers back into the folder. "The hunters want me to take her body to them. What shall I do?"

"You will be able to give them her body," Orochimaru said, smirking impishly. "But right after we're done with her, of course."

* * *

The No Sabakus had been born and raised in a city a bit far from Sakura's hometown, right by the opposite coast. They had to cross most of the width of the country through Gaara's teleportation method to get there. The post-teleporting symptoms were as terrible as before, but at least they got there in less than a minute.

Even though summer had ended a month ago, the weather was hot and dry there, even worse than Sydney's, and Sakura's skin started feeling papery and sticky right away. She asked Gaara where exactly they were located, and when he told her, she realized they were very close to Japan's only desert, which explained the temperature of the environment. She couldn't imagine living all her life here, but she guessed people got used to it.

Gaara started walking southwards. They had appeared on the middle of a lonely, narrow street. Cars were parked by the sidewalks, but none were transiting. The buildings around were big houses with tall fences and green gardens. It seemed like a peaceful, high-classed neighborhood, a perfect place to raise your children or to live your early years.

They walked a few blocks until Gaara finally came to a halt before the biggest house Sakura had seen around so far. It was probably the same size as the Uchiha mansion, but it didn't have a front yard or garden; the entrance to the building was right across the sidewalk. Gaara walked up to it and pushed the heavy wooden doors, which opened without trouble. Silently, Sakura and Sasuke followed him in.

The mansion's inside was deliciously cool and Sakura welcomed the new temperature happily as she followed Gaara down the corridors, which were very dark compared to the sunny day outside. She paid close attention to the decoration of the place: marble floors, copper-colored walls, polished furniture, and peculiar African-like paintings and vases as adornments. However, it somehow didn't feel like a home to her. It felt more like a place of synthetic memories and deeply-buried pasts.

They went up two flights of stairs, walked down a last corridor and stopped before a large, white door. Gaara raised his fist and knocked the door thrice. Exactly ten seconds later, it opened to reveal Temari standing before them, wearing a dark-blue summer dress that brought out the color of her eyes. Clearly surprised, she flashed a hesitant smile at them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"I'm sorry for the unexpected visit," Gaara said, plain-spoken, and stepped into the room without asking for permission. "But this is an emergency, sister. These two people have asked for my help, and now they must ask for yours."

"Um, can we come in?" Sakura asked shyly.

The older woman nodded and stepped aside. Once everyone was in, she closed the door and hissed at Gaara, "You shouldn't be here. Do you have any idea of the risk you-?"

The half-wizard vampire raised a hand to interrupt her. "Please. It really is an emergency. We don't have much time, so let's go straight to the point."

Fuming, Temari turned to the couple and crossed her arms. Suddenly, her politeness was gone. "Alright, whatever. What is it you two want from my brother and me?"

"There's no need to get mad," Sasuke said calmly.

"There isn't, Sasuke, but forgive me, I can't help it. Your mere presences here put my and my brother's lives in danger, because you two bring nothing but trouble. Besides, Gaara shouldn't even be here, but he is, and I believe it's because of you. Do you understand what I'm saying?" They were too uncomfortable to answer, so she went on. "However, I'm going to be part of your family soon. I suppose that forces me to help you."

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to," Sakura said, suddenly angry as well, but mostly hurt. She never thought Temari would treat her like this. "If we're really that much of a trouble to you, then we should probably leave. This was a bad idea." She turned to the door, taking Sasuke's hand and pulling him with her.

They were out of the door, almost at the end of the corridor, and about to walk down the stairs, when they finally heard Temari yell behind them, "Wait!"

Sakura stopped and turned. Itachi's fiancée stood at the doorway, hesitating. "I… I'm sorry," she said. "Come back. I'll help you out. But… let's be quick. I don't want my father to get home and find Gaara here."

Rather reluctantly, they went back into the room. Temari smiled at them, but this time, Sakura didn't smile back.

The four of them sat on the couches in the corner of the room, which seemed to be a study and a bedchamber at the same time. The walls were covered with bookcases, there was a desk near the couches, a large bed against the opposite wall and a walk-in closet. Judging by the pastel colors in the drapes, covers and decorations and by the pictures hanging in the few bare spaces of the walls, it was Temari's bedroom.

Gaara started explaining his sister the motive of their visit. When he finished, Sasuke added, "I have no idea of how you, of all people, might know anything about Akatsuki. But let me tell you that, right now, you're not my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Temari. Right now you're just a source of information. Therefore, whatever you say will never leave this room. Deal?"

The blonde sighed in relief. "Oh, that was all I wanted to hear, Sasuke. Frankly, in order to give you the information you want, I must lose my reputation, and that would probably damage my relationship with the Uchihas."

"Why's that?" Sakura questioned.

Temari smiled bitterly. "Well, the ex-girlfriend of a psychopath wouldn't exactly seem like the perfect kind of wife for the future leader of such powerful clan, would she?"

Sakura's jaw dropped. Quickly, she glanced at Sasuke and saw he was just as shocked. "The ex-girlfriend of a psychopath?" he asked disbelievingly. "You… dated an Akatsuki member?"

"I was _in love_ with an Akatsuki member," Temari corrected. Her tone was casual, but there was a soft sadness in her distant eyes as she stared at the floor. "That was many years ago, when I was just a stupid teenager. Of course, it isn't something I'm proud of, mostly because other people would be scandalized if they ever found out." Her sight focused on Sasuke and Sakura. "It's my deepest secret. Not even my clan knows. If anyone else finds out, I might be considered… well, _impure_. You know how our society is."

They did. Even Sakura, who three months ago knew nothing about any secret societies, was currently fully aware of the prejudices of the vampires. They were like the human royalty in the past centuries; maybe even worse.

"Your secret is safe," Sasuke said solemnly. "We just want your help. But, please explain, what exactly does your past relationship has to do with this?"

"Perhaps you're still in contact with your ex-boyfriend," Sakura said, "and that's how you might know where the hideout is right now?"

"Oh, no," Temari replied, shaking her head. "I haven't seen him in years… Although, it is true I still know what he's been up to, so maybe you could say I _am_ still in contact with him. It's… complicated."

"That's what Gaara told us," Sakura said. "But I think we can handle it."

"Okay… Here it goes." The young woman took a deep breath, straightened her back and fixed her gaze in the distance. "I dated him for over a year when I was seventeen, before he lost his mind and joined that criminal organization. His name is Deidara and he used to be in my school with a scholarship, because he wasn't wealthy but he had a great artistic talent. Even though we were just kids, things were pretty serious between us... so serious that we made the Bond."

"What is that?" Sakura questioned, confusedly glancing from one vampire to another.

"The Bond is something vampires that are lovers do," Sasuke explained, frowning at his future sister-in-law. "They drink each other's blood to connect in a much deeper way. The couple can have small hints of each other's emotions and thoughts. It's kind of like telepathy, but more ambiguous, and it's only reversible by breaking the Bond, which happens when one of them exchanges blood with another lover."

"My Bond with Deidara isn't broken yet," Temari said quietly. "And it won't be until my wedding night. So you're lucky you got here early."

"Alright," Sakura said, running a hand through her hair, "so the point here is that you can sort of feel and see what Deidara feels and sees, right? And therefore, you know where he is right now, which possibly is where Sasori is too and where we need to go."

"Yes," the other girl said. "But it's not as precise as it seems. I have to concentrate very hard and, even like that, I might just get blurry images or unclear messages of what he's seeing or thinking. We'll have to think through what I get."

"It doesn't matter," Sakura said. "This is the only choice we have. Let's do it."

Temari shut her eyes and sighed deeply. Her brow furrowed as if she were trying to remember something, her teeth clenched, and her closed eyelids twitched nervously. In suspense, the others waited for a couple of minutes, until the blonde suddenly let out a strangled exhalation and snapped her eyes open.

Alarmed, Gaara put a hand on his sister's back. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes," Temari said. "I… I'm fine. I got it."

"Well?" Sakura asked anxiously. "Where is he?"

The woman let out a tired sigh, leaned back on the couch and brought a hand to her forehead. She seemed dazzled and weakened, and momentarily, Sakura felt guilty for making her go through this kind of straining thing. But then Temari spoke: "Venice. He's definitely in Venice. I saw the canal and the Italian architecture… I've been there before; I recognized it."

"Venice?" Sasuke murmured uneasily. "What is he doing there? What was he thinking?"

Temari shook her head and grimaced. "All I could get from him was… apprehensiveness and annoyance. But mostly, I think he was a little scared. I have no idea why. I just know he's with three other people, two males and one female, and it appears they're looking for someone."

"Was Sasori there?" Sakura asked softly.

"I don't know. I didn't see their faces. However, the two of them used to be friends, and I'm certain they still are, so even if they aren't together, Deidara might know where Sasori is… Gaara, can you please bring me a glass of water? It's on the night table."

Gaara stood up and got what his sister wanted. When he came back with them, Sakura's doubts had increased twice their size. She was just starting to realize exactly what she was getting herself, and Sasuke, into. Europe was much farther away from Japan than Australia, and that made her feel insecure. The vastness of the world was simply overwhelming, and exploring its hidden corners in search of a crew of insane criminals made her disturbed in mind. What if nothing went as planned? What if they ended up getting themselves killed? What if everyone's effort to keep her alive was in vain?

Out of a sudden, Sasuke took her hand in his and squeezed it comfortingly, as if to remind her that she wasn't alone. She was thankful for his support, but she knew he wasn't any more indestructible than she was. They were both mortals, vulnerable, and against Akatsuki, they probably didn't stand a chance. Besides, more than for her life, she feared for his. Was this really a good idea? Could she back down if she decided it now?

With trembling fingers, Temari raised the glass of water to her lips and took a few sips. When she was done, she seemed her composed self again. "Listen," she said, putting the half-empty glass on the coffee table between them. Her eyes were fixed steadily on Sakura's. "You guys have to be very careful if you want to do this crazy thing. Messing with Akatsuki is one of the most terrible ideas in the world. Even though your intentions are not to attack them or something, it is possible that Sasori might have been instructed by the whole organization to put the spell on Tsunade. In that case, if you two interfere... well, they won't be happy about it."

Sakura realized with a start that she hadn't thought about it that way. Frustrated and defeated, she covered her face with her hands and fought to hold back her tears. Now she knew they couldn't just walk up to them and nicely ask for the spell to me removed from her aunt. It would take a great bribe, or a lot of violence, to persuade Sasori and the rest of the Akatsuki, and she could offer none.

But now what? Go back to Japan, where Sai was surely waiting to find and kill her? Look for some other powerful wizard that might be able to help them? Give up and let her aunt sleep until her time to die came?

None of those choices was acceptable. She would have to find another way.

* * *

Notes: Wow... it's the first time I ever write about an unusual couple like DeiTema, hahaha... Anyway, I'm really sorry it took me so long to update. Last week was crazy; I was very busy with school and exams. However, spring break is coming and I'll have a looooot of time to write. I promise not to let you down, okay? Keep reading and reviewing, please. :)


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter three**

* * *

It was Ino's last night in Japan. She was heading to America to pursuit her dream of becoming an actress. One would think this dream was a bit selfish and shallow, but she saw it in a much more artistic way. Besides, it was what made her happy – and wasn't that all that mattered?

Starting this new kind of life was what she'd always wanted, and now that she was about to take the first step to achieve her goal, she was filled with joy.

However, there was also a bit of nostalgia within her, which showed on the silent tears she was shedding as she finished packing her bags. She was going to miss her city, her family and her home. Eighteen years of living in such blissful monotony would be hard to forget. Her routine, her surroundings, her life-style – they would all drastically change. But change was good; change was healthy. And change, after all the things that had happened lately, was exactly what she so desperately needed.

A knock on her bedroom's door startled her. Hastily, she sniffed and wiped her tears, hoped she didn't look too crappy, and called out, "Come on in!"

The door opened and her mother stepped in, with blood-shot eyes but a beautiful smile. Behind her was Ino's father, looking uncomfortable, but smiling as well. This was the first time in a long time that they paid so much attention to Ino. It wasn't that they ignored her before, but mostly, they were busy worrying about Sakura's progress and safety. Now, though, the couple had more time to care about their daughter, just like Ino had time to finally start a career, because Sakura was finally gone and in someone else's hands… in Sasuke's hands.

A pang of bitterness went through Ino's heart, but she ignored it. She wouldn't let this thought put a cloud in her sunny sky. These were her final moments in Japan and with her family, and she would enjoy them. No handsome, unreachable boy would ruin this for her.

"Oh, darling," her mother said, wrapping her arms around her. "Seeing your things all packed makes me so sad. I feel like you're leaving us forever."

"I'm not, Mom," Ino promised. "I'll come back every time I have vacations."

"Oh," the woman said, planting a kiss on her daughter's cheek, "of course you will, baby. And in case you can't, then we will go to you, okay?"

"After all," her father added, "I've always wanted to visit California."

Ino laughed and put an arm around her father, so that she would be hugging them both. She breathed in her parents' familiar mixed scents and enjoyed the love and security their embrace gave her. She was a big girl now, but she had to admit she would always need her mom and dad, no matter what. She would miss them a lot, but not enough to refuse to go. She preferred to miss them rather than to miss the chance to make her dreams come true.

"Alright," Inoichi said, breaking the hug and blinking his teary eyes at his golden wristwatch. "It's time to go. We don't want you to miss the plane."

The three of them carried Ino's luggage down the stairs, out of the house and into a taxi's trunk. Then, they stood beside the car and group-hugged again. This time, however, Ino didn't allow herself to enjoy the embrace, because she knew that, the more she appreciated it, the more she would miss it, and the saddest she'd be later, and the more she'd cry in her way to the airport.

She decided to start letting go of her old life sooner. That way, maybe the pain would be fainter.

* * *

Temari came back to her room. Her brother, her soon-to-be brother-in-law and Sakura were exactly where they'd been before she left to go to the kitchen. Gaara was still watching Sakura bite her nails nervously, perhaps fascinated by the fact that she was the first half vampire, half human creature he ever met, and Sasuke was still gazing out the window, at the bright day outside.

She walked up to the Uchiha and handed him the small box she'd gone to pick up. "It isn't much," she said, "but it'll be enough for at least three months. Just drop one into a glass of water, let it dissolve, and mix it with a spoon for a minute. Then, it'll be good to drink."

Sasuke opened the box and peeked inside. He reached into it and pulled out one of the many sachets containing small spheres of real animal blood. "I have never used one of these before," he mumbled.

"They're pretty recent. It was only last year when they started being distributed. Besides, not many vampires use them, because they're only for emergencies like yours."

"Thank you, Temari," the young man said, putting the sachet back into the box. "For this, and for telling us about Akatsuki, too."

"What are you going to do next?" she asked softly, glancing at Sakura. The girl sat on the couch, silent and hunched, quickly tapping her foot on the floor and biting her nails. There was a dull fear in her eyes that worried Temari a little.

"Well, we still have to talk about it," Sasuke replied, just as lowly. "To be honest, it depends on her. I'll follow her wherever she wants to go."

Temari let out a dry laugh and shook her head. "God," she whispered, "I still can't believe you're in this situation. You're the least person I thought that would fall in love and make stupid things for a girl."

"They're not stupid things," Sasuke said, smirking, "and she's not just a girl."

The blonde smiled. Then, she walked to the couch and sat down beside her brother. "You guys should probably go back to Australia. My father might come back at any moment and I don't want him to find Gaara here."

Sakura stood up and walked over to Sasuke, who put an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. Gaara rose to his feet, as well, and said to Temari, "I hope to see you again soon, sister."

Temari rose and hugged her young brother. "Take care," was all she told him, even though there was so much more she wanted to let him know. She'd already grown used to his absence, but it was still hard to have to let him go again. All that there was left to do was having faith in him and hoping nothing bad would get in his way.

Wordlessly, Gaara broke the hug and walked towards the couple awaiting him. He put his hand on Sakura's shoulder and, still looking at his sister, began the teleportation.

Temari watched the image of the three of them waver, fade and then disappear, leaving nothing behind, as if they had never even been there at all.

* * *

Sakura dropped to her knees and shut her eyes tightly as the world spun and turned around her. Distantly, she heard Sasuke say, "Dammit, it gets worse every time!"

Then, Gaara's faint voice answered. "At first. But then, gradually, you grow used to it."

Bile rose up her throat and she clamped her hands over her mouth. _Not in front of Sasuke, please, not in front of him, not in front of him!_

Thankfully, after a couple of minutes of kneeling still, she managed not to vomit and to get back on her feet. However, she had to reach for the closest thing to hold on to, because her balance was still not quite back. She found a cold stone wall right behind her, and she leaned against it and breathed slowly in and out.

Finally, she took in her surroundings. They were in a dirty, narrow alley. The sickly sweet scent of trash impregnated the air floating around and into her nostrils.

"We're a few blocks from Oceanic Café," Gaara said, noticing the confusion on her face. "I just couldn't make us appear out of nowhere on the middle of the café. This is the first safe place I came up with."

Sasuke had been leaning on the wall as well, only a couple of feet away from her. He straightened up and ran a hand down his pale face. "Is it normal that I'm getting a killer headache?"

Gaara shrugged. "Symptoms of teleportation may vary. Anyway, let's get out of here before I pass out because of this smell."

Quickly, they walked out of the alley, around a few buildings, and back into Elizabeth's street. Instead of going back to the café, Gaara guided them into the convenience store beside it.

Kankuro was right there, paying for an energizing drink, and when he saw them, he rolled his eyes. "Took you long enough," he told his young brother before opening the drink and taking a sip.

"We're done," Gaara announced curtly, and then turned to the couple. "Aren't we?"

Sasuke nodded, still grimacing at the effects of the teleportation. "Sure. Thank you for your help, Gaara. I hope someday we can pay you back."

The half-breed didn't reply. His blue-green eyes jumped to Sakura and fixed blankly on hers. She thought he would tell her something, but he didn't speak for a long, uncomfortable moment. He simply stared at her, as if she were a strange piece of art he wanted to analyze as well as possible.

"Um, is there anything wrong?" she asked at last.

Gaara seemed to hesitate, and then he looked away a little embarrassedly and shook his head. "Please don't get killed in Venice," he mumbled, and then headed calmly to the door.

"It was nice to meet you," Kankuro said quickly before following his brother out of the store and up the street.

Sakura let out a tired sigh and looked at Sasuke. He didn't seem to be feeling good and his skin had gotten a bit sunburned after walking under the glaring Australian sun from the dirty alley to the store. Concernedly, she proposed they should go back to the motel, rest, and once he felt better, talk about what they would do next. Sasuke just nodded his head in agreement. Then, he took her hand, and together they walked out of the store.

Once in their motel room, Sasuke left the box Temari had given them on the night table, took off his shoes and his shirt, threw himself on the bed and fell asleep in a matter of seconds. Sakura lay down beside him and tried to take a nap, too, hoping some rest would clear her head.

However, her thoughts were too jumbled and thick, and she didn't manage to relax enough to lose consciousness, not even after an entire hour of trying.

It was a hot, slightly suffocating day, but it was not as bad as it had been in Gaara's hometown. Remembering him made her wish she had asked him a few things about being a half-breed. After all, he was the first half-vampire she'd ever met, and even though he wasn't exactly the same as her, she was sure he would understand what she was going through better than anyone else she knew. It was too bad that they had been too busy teleporting and talking with Temari. Sakura would have loved to have a conversation with the red-haired boy.

Still, finding out more about her kind could always wait. There were more important things to figure out right now, like deciding whether to go on with this dangerous plan of hers or not. Maybe she could think of another less risky, but much harder to find, solution. Maybe she was drowning herself in a glass of water.

She pondered on her circumstances so thoroughly that time slipped away without her even noticing. Little by little, the sunlight that spilled through the curtains of the small room's window lost warmth and started shifting, and the temperature began lowering, but Sakura didn't discern. She remained in bed, next to Sasuke's sleeping figure and with her eyes fixed unfocusedly on the opposite wall, and thought towards a final decision.

By the time Sasuke woke up, there was an early twilight in the sky, and Sakura had already chosen the option she was less unsure about: going to Italy, pursuing Temari's ex-boyfriend and his crew, and seeing how well her plan could work out.

Groggily, Sasuke sat up, gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and murmured into her ear. "Have you made a decision?"

"We're going to Italy," she said. The words rolled off her tongue awkwardly, and she instantly knew she was not certain about this decision yet, which made her want to punch herself in the face. The time she'd spent thinking about it ended up being nothing but wasted moments. "However, if you think we shouldn't do it," she added, "be honest and tell me. Your opinion is important, too."

"But yours matters more right now. Besides, you know I'll support you."

That wasn't the answer she had truthfully wanted. She had wanted him to go against her, to tell her it was all too dangerous and they better come up with something else, so that she could just take what she'd said back without embarrassing herself.

"Are you sure?" she asked, hoping he would change his mind if he thought about it a bit more. "I mean… They're criminals; murderers; psychopaths. Can we… handle them?"

Sasuke sighed and ran the back of his hand across his forehead. A fine layer of sweat covered every visible inch of his skin, making him glisten under the reduced sunlight. Sakura tried to ignore how attractive he was and focus on what he said.

"Look, I know that. But the Akatsuki members are not as wild as you think they are. They're professionals. Rumor has it that most of them are even secretly hired to kill by some powerful people. If they're there in Venice, they're probably busy with a mission of some sort. So, when we get there, we must be as professional as they are. We'll be careful and smart and we'll ask only for what we need. If they don't find out who we are and what we really want, then I don't think they'll get violent – but if they do, we just run; simple as that."

"Simple as that," Sakura repeated hesitantly. Then, she questioned, "And what we screw it up?"

He reached for a loose strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear. "We won't. We'll be fine."

Sakura tried to smile. If Sasuke was so confident about this, why couldn't she? "Okay," she said. "Then let's buy plane tickets to Venice."

* * *

Shizune went to bed at nine, early as ever, but spent two more hours tossing and rolling in bed before she realized she would not be able to sleep that night. She had always been a good sleeper, and this was probably the first time she ever had insomnia – all because of her stupid thoughts, which were messier than the drawer she kept her underwear in.

However, she wasn't entirely sure what was to blame for these torturous moments of restlessness: her racing mind, or the reason why her mind was racing – also known as Itachi Uchiha. It was like trying to discover who was guiltier for killing people: guns, or people that used guns.

Even though she was tired and angry, Shizune, being a psychology student, couldn't help but start analyzing the question. At last, her conclusion was that _Itachi _was the one to blame. If only he weren't so irresistibly handsome and so nice to her, she wouldn't be going through all this trouble. Why couldn't he be an ugly jerk? Why couldn't he leave her fragile, hormone-driven head alone? She had enough to deal with!

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. Her body tensed up as her intuition told her it was the person she'd just been thinking about. She wasn't sure of how or why she knew this, but she did, and that scared her a lot.

"Shizune, are you awake?"

_Oh, shit. It _is_ him!_

Biting her lips, she climbed out of the bed and opened the door drastically. "Hey," she said, short of breath, both because of the sudden movements and the sight of him. "What's up?"

"I just wanted you to know that your car is already here, fixed and ready to be driven tomorrow," Itachi said. Despite of the time, he was dressed to go out, with dark jeans and a white, long-sleeved shirt, and his hair was neatly tied into a low ponytail. But he seemed sort of tired. Was it because he'd spent the night making sure her car arrived? Shizune really hoped not.

"Thank you so much, Itachi," she said, mustering a sweet smile. "I honestly don't know how I'll ever pay you back for this."

He chuckled. "I already told you, you don't have to. I don't always give expecting to receive."

"Then I admire you," she blurted out. "I mean, you're so nice. I wish I could be half as nice as you are."

"Come on," he chuckled.

"No, but seriously. If you ever need something, don't hesitate to ask. I'll be willing to help you, no matter what."

"Under any circumstances?" Itachi asked lowly, raising an eyebrow.

In that moment, out of a sudden, Shizune felt like she was in a rated-R romance movie: she was the glamorous female protagonist, standing at the doorway of her fancy bedchamber and wearing nothing but a thin, see-through nightgown, and Itachi was the irresistible male protagonist, calling at her door to see her one last time before he went to bed, and right now they were about to cause condensation on the windows while sexy jazz music played in the background.

She looked away and tried to slow down her frantic heartbeat. What the hell was wrong with her? Her fantasies were becoming a bit over-the-top, which was nothing but harmful, because the more she dreamed, the more disappointed she would be when she finally discovered that nothing would happen between her and this vampire, firstly because it was forbidden, and secondly because it wasn't like he ever seemed interested in her that way.

Itachi could have any woman, human or not, he wanted. Thinking he would choose her above much prettier, smarter and luckier girls than her was just stupid.

"Shizune?"

She looked at him again. There were no words to precisely describe what she felt when she gazed into his orbs; perhaps "light-headed" or "giddy" or simply "drunk" would fit, but poorly. It was the first time a man ever made her feel like this, and it was utterly tragic how said man had to be one she could never have.

Itachi's eyes were unreadable. His thin lips parted and words emerged from his throat… but they were cut off by the sound of her ringtone.

Startled back to reality, Shizune turned, hurried over to where she'd left her bag and pulled out her cellphone. She answered with a small, shaky voice: "Hello?"

"Hello, Miss Senju," a woman said in a formal tone. "We're talking from the hospital in which your mother has been admitted."

Shizune put a hand over her mouth and choked on a sob. From the corner of her teary eye, she saw Itachi notice something was wrong and approach her with an alarmed expression. "What is it?" he mouthed, but she ignored him and focused back on the conversation she was having.

"What's happened?" she asked through the gigantic knot in her throat. "What's wrong?"

"Your mother's heart stopped a few minutes ago, but we were able to reanimate it."

The fingers that seemed to be squeezing her heart relaxed their hold, but just a little. "Oh my God… Is she okay now?"

"She's stable. However, we think there might be something off. We're making studies and the results will be ready in two days, so that you can come and see them."

"But, I mean, she won't die, right?" Shizune demanded, raising her voice.

The woman sighed softly and spoke with strained patience mixed with dull sympathy. "Miss, it's not normal for her heart to suddenly stop the way it did. We're not sure of anything yet, but as I've already told you, we've made studies and the results will be ready soon. When we know what's happening, we'll be able to know whether we should worry or not."

Shizune sat on the edge of the bed and exhaled heavily, closing her eyes. "Okay," she said bluntly. "I understand. Thank you for calling." Then, she hung up.

Itachi sat beside her and put a big, warm hand on the small of her back. She could see in his eyes that he already knew what was going on; maybe he'd got it by hearing her side of the conversation. As if to prove it, he said gently, "She'll be alright, Shizune."

But even said by him, it sounded more like a wish than like a fact. It was nice of him – _everything_ about him was nice, goddammit – to try to make her feel better, but she wished he wouldn't have said that. It only made her angrier at this situation and at this crappy life of hers. It only made her wish she could go back to the past, when she wasn't so stressed and Tsunade was healthy and Sakura was safe, and stay there forever.

Itachi's hand slid up to her arm and delicately pushed her against his body. She put her head on his shoulder, submerged herself in his warmth, his smell and his silence, and wept.

* * *

It was early in the morning and they were in Sydney's Airport, waiting for their flight to be called. Sasuke was pacing around the waiting room, writing an e-mail to Gaara from his cellphone. He needed to ask the red-head just one last favor: to give him his sister's number, so that he could contact her when he got to Europe and ask her for Deidara's current whereabouts. Sasuke hoped the blond criminal vampire and his crew wouldn't be moving around the continent too quickly and too often, because in that case, reaching them would be almost impossible.

Once he'd sent the e-mail, he took a seat beside Sakura, who was struggling not to fall asleep. She fixed her drowsy eyes on him and gave him a sheepish smile. "I couldn't sleep very well last night. Too nervous."

"At least it's not because of the nightmares," he said.

"I guess. Hey, can I use your phone? I haven't checked my e-mail in a while."

Sasuke gave her his phone. As she used it, he pulled out his sunscreen from his backpack and rubbed some on his reddish arms. Vampires could heal inhumanly fast from any kind of wound, except from sun burns. Having such sensible skin was never pleasant.

Suddenly, Sakura gasped loudly. "Oh, God!"

"What?" he asked, alarmed. The pink-haired girl seemed unable to speak, so she just handed him the phone.

Sasuke read the screen; it was an e-mail from Shizune saying Tsunade had suffered a heart-attack, and that although she was okay now, the doctors thought that something might be wrong because the incident hadn't been normal.

Right at the end, it read:

_I know you're trying to find that wizard that put the spell on her, so that he takes it off and she can wake up. To be honest, I firstly thought it was a waste of time. But now, Sakura, I think it's our only hope. Please do everything you can – but don't put your life a danger too great. I don't want to lose you. _

Sasuke looked at Sakura. She seemed shaken and worried, but there was also resolution in her bright green eyes. He realized, then, that all doubts about facing the Akatsuki members had vanished. Now the only thing Sakura cared about was waking her aunt up.

* * *

Notes: I'm sosososo sorry for the delay but I'm suffering from writer's block asadhsdgsjhcbdsjhbdj not a good spring break :(


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